The Condition of Wild Life in Alaska 



in the extreme northwest of Canada and in Alaska 

 brought these territories suddenly before the public 

 eye. Here was a district of enormous extent, lying 

 at the extreme limit of the continent, and populated 

 by a large and varied fauna, which was practically 

 undisturbed. During the last ten years, thousands 

 of prospectors and miners have gone into Alaska, 

 and in many places worked havoc with the game. 

 On the whole, however, the destruction of the 

 game has not yet gone far enough to permanently 

 injure the fauna of the region, provided the matter 

 of protection is taken in hand scientifically and in 

 the immediate future. 



In Alaska we have a gigantic preserve. In it 

 there are not only several species rich in the num- 

 bers of their individual members, but also certain 

 species which in point of size appear to be the very 

 culmination of their respective genera, as for ex- 

 ample, the giant moose. The brown bear group of 

 southern Alaska certainly contains the largest 

 known bears, not even excepting the great fish bear 

 of Kamchatka, or the extinct cave bear of Europe. 

 The largest known wolves are found in northern 

 Alaska, and a wolverine of exceptional size has 

 recently been described. When this great game 

 region was first opened up, immediate legislation 

 was needed to protect the animals from the delib- 



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